Cigarette package holder



y 1933. w. c. HIERING 1,907,107

C IGARETTE PACKAGE HOLDER Filed 001:. 21, 1930 ATTORNEY WILLIAIE C. HIERING, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB- T O J. E. MERGOTT COM- PANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF DELAl/VARE CIGARETTE PACKAGE HOLDER Application filed October 21, 1930. Serial No. 490,188.

This invention relates to cases for holding packages of cigarettes.

At the present time, the majority of brands of cigarettes on the market are packed in cartons of a standard size. When these cartons, which are made of paper, are carried in the pocket, the cigarettes become disarranged therein, broken and generally rendered undesirable for smoking purposes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a case for carrying a standard package of cigarettes in a manner to protect the cigarettes from damage.

A further object is to provide a means for opening and closing this case, which means may be easily manipulated by the same hand which may be holding the case.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished 29 by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 represents an end view of the preferred form of case showing the covers thereof in a closed position.

Figure 2 represents an end view of the same form showing the covers in an open position. a

Figure 3 represents a partial sectional side View showing details of the mechanism for operating the cover.

Figure 4 represents an end view of a modified form with the covers in a closed position.

Figure 5 represents a similar end view with the covers in an open position.

Referring to the drawing, in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the case is shown to comprise a body portion 6 which is formed by bending a narrow strip of metal to provide a bottom and two sides and a narrow flange as shown in Figure 3.

The side 7 extends practically to the height of a standard package of cigarettes and has pivotally connected thereto at 9 the split cover members 8, the latter having circular cut-out portions 10 adjacent their upper edges and smaller arcuate cut-outportions 11 adjacent the pivots.

The lower end of the cover members 8 are provided with projections 12 which engage a spring member 13, which normally urges the cover members to a closed position as shown in Figure 1. The. spring 13 is positioned in a shallow pocket formed by a fiat cover-plate 13 attached to the side 7. The cover members 8 are guided in their pivotal movements by pins 16 projecting therefrom adjacent the pivots 9 which pins 16 move in arcuate slots,'15,'in the side member 7.

The side member 7 is also provided with a longitudinal slot 18 in which is slidably mounted a pin having attached thereto a circular button 1? the latter having a diameter at one portion substantially equal to the diameter of the circle formed by the two circular cut-out-portions 10 in cover members 8.

In operation, when itis desired to open the case, button 17 is moved downward in the slot 18 and cams the cover members 8 apart.

When the button is moved into the recesses 11, the pressure of the spring 13 on the cover members and the shape of the recesses 11 is such as to hold the cover. members apart as long as may be desired. When it is desired to close the case, all that is necessary is to move the button 17 up out of the recesses 11 and the spring 13 will immediately snap the cover members to a closed position.

In Figures 4 and 5, the modified form is provided with a main body portion 6a having a side 7a similar to the side 7 in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Split cover members 8a are pivotally mounted at 9a to the side 7a, and the lat ter is provided with a longitudinal slot 18a on which slides a button 17 a.

The cover members 8a are provided with projections having recesses 21 in which fits the ends of a U-shaped spring 13a which is attached to the side 7 a, the spring normally urging the cover members 8a to a closed position.

The button 17a is pivotally connected to adjacent ends of a pair of links 19, to opposite ends of which are pivotally connected at 20 to the cover members 8a, the arrangement providing substantially a toggle joint so that when the button 17a is moved to its lowermost position in the slot 18a, the links 19 will be substantially in a straight line and hold the cover members 8a separated as shown in Figure 5.

In order to close the case it is only necessary to move the button 17a upwardly slightly to break the toggle, and the spring 13a will then immediately snap the covers 8a to a closed position.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications Without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A cigarette package holding case, comprising a body member having rectangular end Walls, one of said end walls having a slot, a pair of cover members pivotally connected to the end walls, resilient means normally holding the cover members in a closed position, and a button slidably mounted in the slot, said cover members having cut-out portions to accommodate the button when in a closed position, and other cut-out portions adjacent the pivots to cooperate with the button to hold the cover members in an open position.

This specification signed this 3rd day of July, 1931.

WILLIAM C. HIERING. 

